Jennifer Dulos case: Security increases in neighborhood as kids head back to school

By Jim Shay, Grace Duffield and John Nickerson

Updated

12:09 pm EDT, Friday, June 7, 2019

NEW CANAAN — An added layer of security has been placed in Jennifer Dulos’ neighborhood as her children returned to school Friday for the first time since she disappeared two weeks ago.

In addition to the police officer that has been stationed at Jennifer Dulos’ Welles Lane home, another car was parked Friday morning near the corner of Frogtown Road. The man said he was there to help secure the home.

Jennifer Dulos was last seen around 8 a.m. May 24 dropping off her children at New Canaan Country School. The children, who range in age from 8 to 13, have been staying with their maternal grandmother, Gloria Farber, in New York City. Farber is also seeking custody of the children.

Jennifer Dulos’ estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, 51, and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, 44, have been charged with evidence tampering and hindering prosecution. While Fotis Dulos remains jailed on $500,000 bond, Troconis is being monitored by an electronic bracelet while free on bail.

A source close to the case confirmed Troconis and her Westport attorney, Andrew Bowman, met Thursday with State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo and state police investigators.

Colangelo declined to comment about the meeting.

Eugene Riccio, Fotis Dulos’ criminal defense attorney, also declined to comment about the meeting.

"It would not be productive for me to make any statement regarding that report,” he said Friday.

Riccio also declined to comment on the motion filed Thursday by Michael Rose, who has requested to be removed as Fotis Dulos’ divorce attorney.

“Good cause exists to grant this motion because considerations other than compensation prevent the firm from continuing to represent the defendant,” the motion states. “Counsel represents that the withdrawal will have no effects on the client’s interests.”

Authorities have turned their attention back to the properties tied to the Fore Group, a custom homebuilding company owned by Fotis Dulos.

The scene was quiet Thursday outside 61 Sturbridge Hill Road in New Canaan, where neighbors said state police had searched on Wednesday. The property of the 7,000-square-foot home, listed at $4.8 million, is still being developed. A trailer with Fore Group’s name on the side and a metal dumpster remain on the property.

One neighbor said the loud sounds of metal banging on the property woke someone up in his home during the pre-dawn hours of May 25 — the day after Jennifer Dulos was reported missing. The man said the sound led neighborhood dogs to start barking. He said police have been to the neighborhood three times in the past two weeks.

A nanny at one home in the neighborhood said state police on Wednesday focused their search on the metal dumpster located in front of 61 Sturbridge Hill. Another source told Hearst Connecticut Media investigators never entered the home and only examined the dumpster.

In a statement released Thursday, New Canaan Police Lt. Jason Ferraro said he could not discuss the searches being conducted by his department and the Connecticut State Police Major Crime squads.

“This team continues to explore all criminal behavior, which led to the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos. During this criminal investigation, search warrants have been obtained and served on properties owned by Fotis Dulos,” Ferraro said. “Details regarding these searches will not be released as it could compromise this very active criminal investigation.”

State police have also been using cadaver dogs at a Hartford garbage dump where trash was hauled from receptacles where police say Fotis Dulos was seen throwing garbage bags containing items with his estranged wife’s blood on them the night she disappeared.

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